PNG, Italy, Fiji win at Rugby League WC

Ashton hat-trick can’t save Toulon superstars

SYDNEY, Nov 5, (Agencies): Watson Boas scored two minutes from full time to clinch Papua New Guinea’s 14-6 win over Ireland at the Rugby League World Cup on Sunday, likely propelling the Kumuls into the quarterfinals with co-hosts Australia and New Zealand.

Papua New Guinea held a two-point lead for 52 minutes before Boas pounced on a dropped pass in the Ireland backline, kicked through and won the race to the ball to score.

The win kept Papua New Guinea unbeaten after two rounds and atop Group C from which only one team will progress to the playoffs, likely to face England in the quarterfinals.

Italy and Fiji kept their playoff hopes alive with emphatic wins in Group D and will meet on Friday to decide which team progresses from that group.

The Italians have a 1-1 record after their 42-6 win over the United States while Fiji are unbeaten after a record 72-6 win over hapless Wales. Wales was beaten 50-4 by Papua New Guinea in its opening match.

Fiji scored eight tries to lead 42-6 at halftime and another six in the second half. Suliasi Vunivalu touched down three times and Taane Milne and Viliame Kikau scored twice.

Milne was man of the match with three line breaks and six saw a penalty come back agonisingly off the post.

But 21-year-old replacement centre Verdu then showed nerves of steel to bury the match-winning penalty in the 77th minute as Agen clinched just their second win of the campaign.

Leaders Lyon slumped to a first home defeat this season when title rivals La Rochelle clinched a rain-swept battle of attrition 19-15.

Missing 11 players, including star fly-half and kicker Lionel Beauxis as well as skipper and backrow stalwart Julien Puricelli, Lyon struggled to impose any sort of authority at the Stade Gerland.

Veteran fly-half Frederic Michalak kicked all of their points while La Rochelle, playing without four first-choice stars away on international duty, grabbed the only try from scrum-half Alexis Bales in the 53rd minute.

Despite the defeat, Lyon collected a losing bonus point and remain three points ahead of La Rochelle and five in front of Montpellier, who host Clermont on Sunday.

In Twickenham, United Kingdom, Beauden Barrett’s first match as New Zealand captain ended in victory but only after the world champions came from behind to beat the Barbarians 31-22 at Twickenham on Saturday.

The All Blacks were 17-5 down not long before half time in their European tour opener but turned the tide with three tries in six second-half minutes amid a welter of replacements by both teams in a match celebrating the 125th anniversary of the New Zealand Rugby Union. Edmund, told the crowd after winning his third title of the year.

“This will be my first time in the top 10 and first time at the Tour Finals in London, so much is going on right now.”

Sock, who was 24th in the ‘Race to London’ standings before arriving at Bercy, will become the American number one for the first time, after beating the man who knocked out his compatriots Sam Querrey and John Isner earlier in the week.

Krajinovic showcased the game that took him to the brink of becoming the first qualifier to win a Masters title since Albert Portas in 2001, but ultimately he failed to become only the second Serb after Novak Djokovic to triumph at this level.

“This was the best week in my life,” Krajinovic said. “I will never forget this moment in my life. Coming from qualifying to the final was a dream come true.”

Any worries that the world number 77 would struggle with nerves were quickly put to bed as he held his opening service game with an exquisite drop shot.

Sock had dropped serve eight times going into the final and Krajinovic brought up the first break point of the

Kuwait’s National Men’s Ice Hockey team celebrate after winning Bangkok International Ice

Hockey competition.